school project

I encourage magic mushroomsPSILOCYBIN

INTRODUCTION

Psilocybin is the active ingredient and hallucinogenic drugs inside what is commonly referred to as "magic mushrooms". Contrary to popular belief, mushrooms do cause hallucinations that are not there, but rather distortions of real life. These effects have been reported to induce spiritual and religious experience, which is why mushrooms have been used for 1000's of years in human history. Although there are many species of Hallucinogenic mushrooms, most mushrooms you find on the ground are not what Mycologists(mushrooms experts) call "active". Infact most "active" mushrooms come from one specific Genus, called Psilocybe mushrooms.[Michael Bridge, 2010]

COMMON STREET NAMES

Common street names for Psylocybe Mushrooms are Caps, Magic mushrooms, Mushrooms, Psilocybin & Psilocyn, Shrooms. [drug free]

ORIGIN AND PRODUCTION

Humans are first thought to have come into contact with hallucinogenic mushrooms in East Africa around 3,500 years B.C.E. [Mushrooms and Mankind by James Arthur] Since then there has been evidence of mushroom use in almost all cultures until the Catholic church had it's say on things in the middle ages. Missionaries considered using hallucinogenics to be heathen acts and from then on became unacceptable to modern culture. [Mike Bridge] Today Hallucinogenic Mushrooms are a controlled substance in most places. This makes it a crime to sell, pick, dry or possess “active” mushrooms. Some speicies of hallucinogenic mushroom grows naturally in just about every part of the world, so shrooms a more often picked rather than grown; Although, growing mushrooms is still a common undertaking. After mushrooms have been harvested they are normally dried before consumption, depending on the intended method of consumption. The two most common methods are eating the mushrooms raw, or mixing ground up mushrooms into tea.

BIOLOGICAL IMPACTS

Some mushrooms have been found to cause damage to liver, however these are not active mushrooms. The mushrooms that cause liver damage are “look-alikes” to hallucinogenic mushrooms and contain no psychoactive properties. The mushrooms are referred to as “look-alikes” because they have similar properties to active mushrooms [shroomery]. Psilocybe mushrooms containing Psyilocybin will not cause liver damage. In a double blind study done by Heffter research center concluded that psilocybin affects the core dimensions of altered states of consciousness and physiological parameters in a dose-dependent manner. The drug temporarily raises blood pressure and CORT plasma cells while leaving no noticeable long term effects [shroomery]. That being said, over using mushrooms is rumoured to cause “flash-back” or Hallucinogen Persisting Perception Disorder (HPPD) which are reoccurring hallucinations long after taking the drugs [drug free]. This common side affect of man-made psychedelics such as LSD and PCP has not yet been proven to be a side affect of Psilocybin.

MEDICAL USES

Medicinal uses for psilocybe mushrooms are usually to do with mental health, and are common in shamanistic rituals. Although psilocybin has not yet been officially studied for it’s therapeutic values, more people are starting to ask these questions. This is because of reports that psilocybin has anti-OCD properties [American Mushrooms]. "In a controlled clinical environment, psilocybin was safely used in subjects with OCD and was associated with acute reductions in core OCD symptoms in several subjects." – Morino Et Al (Unitversity of Arizona)

RECREATIONAL USES

People use mushrooms recreationally usually for the hallucinations induced by the drug. The intensity of the hallucinations depends on the dosage of mushrooms one takes.

HAZARDS OF PSILOCYBIN

The biggest danger of using magic mushrooms is mis-identification. Some species of shrooms have 'look-alikes' that are poisonous and sometimes mistaken for psylocybe mushrooms. Although most mis-identified mushrooms will only make the user temporarily sick, some look-alikes are deadly and require immediate medical attention. Symptoms of toxic mushrooms are stomache pains, diarrhea and vomitting (Brown University). The second highest risk when taking mushrooms is experiencing a 'Bad Trip'. A Bad Trip is the high becomes unpleasant and sometimes terrifying, rather than the fun trip that the user expects. Bad trips are induced by uncomfortable situations while on the drug, like a party or another loud and crowded situation. Bad Trips usually include anxiety, confused or disordered thinking and feelings of panic. (Brown University)


BOOK: Mushrooms and mankind by James Arthur [Mushrooms and mankind]

BOOK: Growing Gourmet and Medicinal Mushrooms by Paul Stamets [Growing gourmet]

SITE: www.shroomery.org [shroomery]

SITE: http://www.drugfree.org [drug free]

SITE: WWW.AMERICANMUSHROOMS.COM [American Mushrooms]

SITE: WWW.BROWN.EDU [BROWN UNIVERSITY]